GRAND RAPIDS — The two-year redevelopment of the former Grand Rapids Christian High School building into a variety of uses, including 40 affordable apartment units, is now complete.
The 75,000-square-foot building at 415 Franklin St. SE will also serve as the new headquarters for the Inner City Christian Federation, as well as worship space for Madison Church and a YMCA child development center.
The ICCF is managing the new apartments, which include four Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant units. The units — available for tenants living at or below 80 percent of area median income — are currently all leased out with families starting to move in, said Michelle Covington, vice president of advancement at ICCF.
The development address “is within a half-mile of 61 percent of the affordable rental housing that we steward,” ICCF President and CEO Ryan VerWys said in a statement. “As we enter our 47th year working in the community, we are blessed to relocate our offices to this important part of the city. We are proud that the re-development of this once-vacant property into a beautiful place will add to the vitality of this neighborhood.”
Extensive renovations to the building added zero-step accessibility to the first floor gathering space, which used to be an open air courtyard. Windows in the building were also reopened to their original size and refurbished glass fixtures were put back into use. The building is expected to receive Enterprise Green Communities Certification.
“Early childhood education supports healthy, connected, and successful youth and families,” YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids President and CEO Scott Lewis said in a statement. “This renovation speaks to the power of collaboration for creating vibrant communities where critical services lead to impactful outcomes for all.”
ICCF worked with DeStigter Architecture & Planning for architectural services, and Rockford Construction Co. was the general contractor for the project.
ICCF’s previous location at 920 Cherry St. SE was sold to Colorado-based MIMG Grand Rapids LLC. The sale closed on April 15. In the transaction, ICCF acquired property at 816 Madison Ave. SE, which previously served as ICCF’s headquarters from 1986-2007, VerWys said.
ICCF is having conversations with “mission-aligned” groups that have expressed interest in potentially locating their services to the building, VerWys said in an email to MiBiz.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to say the buyer of 920 Cherry St. SE is based in Colorado.
